Vannes, the fifth club on 0 points after four rounds

Four rounds, four defeats, no bonus point: RC Vannes are on zero. It is rare in the Top 14, but the last two clubs to manage it both survived.

Vannes lost by nine at Castres, by fourteen to Montpellier, by six to Stade Toulousain and by eighteen at Toulon. Forty-seven points of combined margin, and one near miss: against Toulouse, a single point fewer would have brought the losing bonus.

Four precedents since 2009-10

The two most recent cases carry the same name, and they did not end the same way. In 2023-24 Perpignan hauled their season back to tenth. Last season, after the same blank start — 19-26 to Bayonne, 13-31 at Toulouse, 15-28 to Racing 92 and 8-31 at La Rochelle — they had to go through the access match, won 47-24 at Provence Rugby on 14 June. The Catalans are still in the Top 14, and they beat Union Bordeaux-Bègles this Saturday.

Twice 10-0 up, twice caught

The pattern has repeated for four weeks. At Rennes against Toulouse, then at Mayol on Saturday, Vannes led 10-0 before giving way. Nathanaël Hulleu, who scored the opening try in Toulon, put it plainly.

What the fixture list says

Brittany host Pau, second in the table, in the next round. Their points difference, minus forty-seven, is the second worst in the Top 14 behind Racing 92.

We really have the feeling we are holding something, but there are always moments when it goes wrong.

Nathanael Hulleu | Le Télégramme

Our league points are the consequence of what we do in attack. We have to start scoring those tries.

Jean-Noël Spitzer | Le Figaro